Cabbies distraught over death of colleague at Victoria airport

A memorial service is planned for this Sunday for the 57-year-old taxi driver killed outside the Victoria International Airport last week. Ramesh Sharma had worked for Yellow Cab for the past 25 years. He died on July 29 after an out-of-control car drove into him and several colleagues having lunch outside the airport.

“He was a wonderful man,” said Yellow Cab president Kuljit Nagra. “We are going to miss him big time. He had no enemies and everyone thought very highly of him.”

Yellow Cab employees are saddened by the loss of their friend, Nagra said, and have pooled donations to help support his memorial service, set for 11 a.m. at First Memorial Funeral Services on Falaise Drive in Saanich.

The bizarre incident involved a car, travelling at approximately 100 km/h, driven by an 82-year-old woman.

“Around 14 or 15 people were on a break having lunch and playing cards and five or six people sat on one bench,” said Nagra, who witnessed the accident outside the airport. “Suddenly the car went out of control and we had less than two seconds before it hit the table. Only the people standing had time to move. People lay on the ground crying and I called 911,” he said.

The incident is still under investigation and police have not released any more information on the driver of the vehicle.

Seven Yellow Cab employees were injured in this incident, Nagra said.

Two are still in hospital.

“We don’t know when they will be released. Santokh Sahota has three broken ribs and a broken leg and is waiting for an operation and Baljinder Sandhu can’t move his head properly and has broken collar bones on both sides,” Nagra said.

This crash has deeply affected many of the staff at Yellow Cab.

“Quite a few people are very sad from what they saw. They can’t sleep and are taking sleeping pills. They don’t want to stop at the airport to take calls as they are very upset about this accident.”

The memorial service is open to the public and will be followed by a second service at approximately 1 p.m. at the Sikh Temple, at 1210 Topaz Rd.

Sharma had two daughters, 17 and 24, and a son, 23. The family lives in the High Quadra area of Saanich.

“I speak to his family every day,” said Nagra. “We are trying to help his family. Everybody is supporting him.”